Jaacob Van Winkle, 31, is charged with 36 crimes in connection with the deaths of Mandy Folsom, 35, and her children Marissa Stotler (aka Folsom), 9, and Mason Kaufman (aka Folsom), 5, all of whom were found dead from cuts to their throats at the family home at 1113 Phay Ave. March 9.

Van Winkle was to face a three-day preliminary hearing starting Monday, but parties have reached a plea agreement, according to District Attorney Thom LeDoux.

“The defendant (Van Winkle) has indicated his desire to waive the preliminary hearing and to enter a guilty plea to the charges as filed,” LeDoux said. “Acceptance of the guilty plea would result in a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

“I have determined that acceptance of such a plea is an appropriate resolution of the case under the circumstances,” LeDoux said in a motion presented to the court Wednesday.

The motion was signed by both LeDoux and Van Winkle’s attorney Daniel Zettler of Salida.

The lone survivor of the Folsom homicides, Mandy Folsom’s 16-year-old daughter, allegedly was sexually assaulted by Van Winkle before she got away and went to a neighbor’s home to get help. Because of the plea agreement, the teen will not be required to testify during a jury trial.

Van Winkle is charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder, multiple kidnapping and sexual assault charges as well as sentence-enhancing charges of crime of violence and habitual sexual offender against children.

In a letter to the editor of The Pueblo Chieftain , Mandy Folsom’s father Jim Stotler indicated he is in favor of the death penalty.

“It is safe to say . . . the sadistic monster who murdered our child and grandchildren will enjoy a good life at the Penal Comfort Inn for the cold-blooded murders, and as long as we continue to have elected officials in state government who are weak on crime, we will also continue to see a rise in murders. Giving murderers and violent criminals a temporary stay at the Penal Comfort Inn isn’t working,” Stotler wrote.